Indian (India) Genealogy

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An ancient and diverse Indian culture is located in South Asia on the Indian sub-continent. Its people and civilizations date back thousands of years.

The family is the center of Indian traditions. Covering generations, India has the tradition of the joint family system. It is a system under which extended members of a family – parents, children, the children’s spouses and their offspring, all live together. It is the eldest male member who is the head of the family in the Indian system. He makes all important decisions and rules, and other family members abide by them.

While doing Indian genealogy, the knowledge that there is the long standing practice of arranged marriages, done by the parents for each of their children. The practice is still done, just at a lesser degree compared to years ago. In turn, there is little or no divorce, mostly because they believe marriage is for life.

Indian food is mostly vegetarian with occasionally use of lamb, fish, chicken and goat meat. Cattle are part of their Hindu religion as well as the culture. The cow is revered and honored and the provider of good fortune. A variety of spices are used in the food dishes. In the northern end wheat is the basic food and in the southern region it is rice.

The sari, a draped garment, is the traditional female clothing. Clothing for most people is made of cotton to help keep the body cool in the very hot Indian climate.

Indian dance, music and poetry hold many traditional customs. They’re the established way to express a story. Some forms take on the classical style and others more of the folk style. Both typically represent the Hindu deities of Shiva, Kali and Kristna.

In the ornate Indian architecture it provided influenced eastern and southeastern Asia regions‘ architecture. The building of temple spire and towers started in India.

Hinduism is the main religion for most Indians, approximately 81 percent of the population. From the region four major religions have originated, they are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. The religions actually define the Indian culture.

Their ethnic-language background is that of Indo-Aryan, a note in Indian genealogy. With very diverse regions across the sub-continent there are also a variety of languages. Some of the forms different from Hindi are Bengali, Dogri, Oriya and Urdu. The main and official language used is Hindi, with English as a secondary language. So those with the native language of Bengali would also need Hindi to function effectively in India.

Traditionally the Indian people have always been conscious of social order and their status with family, friends and neighbors. This has created a hierarchy where every relationship has a clear-cut station that must be observed for the social order to be maintained.

Being in a close-knit family the people have a genuine trust among their relatives. They keep in contact with all members, including far extended relatives. The elderly are highly respected and the first ones greeted in any group.